The invention relates to an electrical installation comprising individual assemblies mounted on an assembly carrier, the latter comprising plug or socket connectors mounted on circuit boards which can cooperate with mating connectors on the assemblies by means of a pivotal action of the assemblies with the carrier.
In a known electrical installation similar to the above-mentioned type, German Patent Specification No. 2,810,071, there is provided a standard carrier rail, by which the plug or socket connectors are snapped together and connected with each other by a bus. The individual assemblies are located by protrusions thereon behind an edge of the standard carrier rail. By means of a pivotal movement of the assemblies, connectors provided thereon are brought into engagement with the plug or socket connectors on the carrier. The assemblies are locked in position by means of another protrusion of the carrier rail.
According to the present invention there is provided an electrical installation comprising individual assemblies mounted on an assembly carrier, the latter comprising plug or socket connectors which can cooperate with mating connectors on the assemblies by means of a pivotal action of the assemblies on the carrier, the assembly carrier comprising a profiled plate formed with a U-profile. One side of the U-profile has notches spaced apart at distances in accordance with the widths of the assemblies, and the other, shorter side of the U-profile faces the assemblies and provides a pivotal axis for the assemblies. Also mounted upon the shorter side of the U-profile are guide plates for the lateral guidance of the assemblies. These guide plates have extensions which can be snapped into said notches.
This invention is capable of providing a good mounting support and cooperation of the assemblies with the plug or socket connectors, even when the assemblies are of different widths. Good lateral guidance for the individual assemblies is also provided. Moreover, greater variability is given with regard to bus lines.
In order to provide secure mounting of the assemblies even in the case of extreme vibrations, that is, irrespective of the location of the installation place, it may be advantageous if the profiled plate has a C groove for the introduction of insert nuts which may be held between the guide plates in the longitudinal direction of the groove. The nuts are cooperable with screws to secure the assemblies.
In order to fix the position of the insert nuts in relation to an assembly, but yet to allow certain tolerances when introducing the cooperating fastening screws, it may be advantageous if the nuts are mounted loosely in the groove longitudinal direction of projections from a nut rail. The nut rail may be a simple stamped bent element. The nuts used here can be standard commercially available nuts mounted in the rail. Mounting support of the nut rail in the groove (and with that of the associated nuts) at a certain point can be achieved if a nut is fixed by means of a threaded pin, which has been screwed into the nut in the groove.
In order to determine, in a simple manner, whether the assemblies have been secured in terms of order after their pivotal movement, it is desirable for the fastening screws which cooperate with the insert nuts to be spring-loaded in opposition to their screwing-in direction and to project beyond front faces of the assemblies in their non-screwed-in state.
The fastening screws which project beyond the assemblies not only serve as indicators, but also as an aid for withdrawal of the assemblies. They also provide reliable electrical connection of the assemblies through the connectors on their rear sides, and with that a safeguard the integrity of the electrical connection during shock and vibration.
It is possible to dispense with notches, rings and tightening means for the mounting support of the fastening screws if the fastening screws have lugs pressed thereon and are held on the assemblies in circularly ending stop recesses.
By means of inclination of the fastening screw its introduction and removal, when the stop recesses are constructed in the form of a slot and there are a maximum of two lugs lying opposite, is also possible if a through hole is present for the fastening screw at its forward end.
A simple mounting support for the plug or socket connectors which are cooperable with the assemblies may be provided on the profiled plate if a printed circuit board carrying the connectors can be introduced into grooves provided in mounting strips formed on the profiled plate. An all round electrical connection between the individual assemblies is possible as a result of the printed circuit board.
So that it may be possible to install assemblies with different mating plug or socket type connectors on the profiled plate, it is desirable to have provided on the printed circuit board, in accordance with the values of their spacing, possibilities for attaching different designs of plug or socket type connectors. In this way, the versatility of the profiled plate is increased further.
It is expected that during operation, assemblies with different mating plug or socket connectors are to be used; the profiled plate can also be provided, according to the function, with different plug or socket type connectors which are provided within one divison.
In order to improve the mounting support of the assemblies as regards their electrical connection, for example, with regard to an external earth contact, it is desirable for a groove to be provided on the profiled plate for the insertion of one of the edges of an elongated fingered spring. It is possible to insert the fingered spring at a point required for the assemblies, and the spring may be secured mechanically and contacted electrically with the profiled plate in an improved manner by squeezing the groove closed onto the spring. As a result of the squeezing action, an oxide film which might be present breaks, and this amounts to cold-sealing similar to that provided by a crimped connection. For this purpose, it is desirable for the fingered spring to be folded-over at its one edge and for the fingered spring to have recesses in the region of the groove. Surface treatment of the profiled plate is not necessary, as a result of the cold-sealing between fingered spring and profiled plate. If the assemblies are provided with contacting lugs for the printed circuit board in the region of the fingered spring, surface treatment of the assembly housings is unnecessary.
It is an object of this invention to provide an electrical installation comprised of individual assemblies with an improved method of mounting support. It is a second object of this invention to provide an installation with improved cooperation of the mating connector during plug-in actions. It is a third object of this invention to provide an installation which allows for great variability of connector type and individual assembly size as well as the interconnections between connectors and assemblies. It is another object of this invention to provide hold down screws which provide reliable electrical connection and indicate by their position when the screw is not completely engaged. It is a further object of this invention to provide a reliable electrical spring contact ground connection in the electrical installation for the individual assemblies for a ground connection.